


Sunflowers and Daffodils

by fleeting_fantasy



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Zine: Sweet Like Honey (Ferdithea)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:49:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28319250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleeting_fantasy/pseuds/fleeting_fantasy
Summary: Weeks after Dorothea and Ferdinand's conversation in the ruined halls of the cathedral, a strange tension between them steadily rose; awkward avoidance and sparse skittish conversations became the extent of their interactions. She was scared and confused, falling in love during the most inconvenient time. The drama of wartime romance is something best left in the opera, she believed, and yet, every time she caught even a glimpse of Ferdinand, she felt her heart race. As the next important excursion grew closer, Dorothea knew she couldn't let these emotions fester any longer, not when every day could be their last, and decided to seek out the one person she trusted most to help her sort out her complicated web of emotions: Manuela.But as she approached, she realized someone beat her to it.
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Dorothea Arnault
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22
Collections: Sweet Like Honey





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my full piece for Sweet Like Honey, a Ferdithea charity zine! Thank you to everyone who supported the zine and to all the contributors and moderators who made this such a wonderful project to be a part of! The premium version has ended, but the free version is still available, and you can find other full pieces on the official twitter @ https://twitter.com/ferditheazine!!

Dorothea slowly crept towards the gates to the former faculty boarding rooms where she was sure she would find the only person she knew who could help ease her countless worries. Tonight had been particularly rough on her, between thoughts of the war with the decisive battle upcoming and her own personal matters, she found herself heading towards Manuela’s room without even realizing it. 

She opened the gate slowly, careful to not alarm anyone out on patrol, especially since tonight, she was sure it was Hubert stalking the halls for signs of unexpected guests, and who knows what he’d do if she got caught past curfew like this; at the very least, she’d probably be stuck cleaning the ruined halls as punishment. As she turned the corner, the path to Manuela’s room long since memorized, Dorothea’s heart leapt to her throat.

_ Ferdinand. _

He was a little insufferable at times, but had a genuine heart of gold. He had a way of brightening up every corner of the dreary Garreg Mach and raising the morale of every soldier. Even for Edelgard and Hubert, who dealt with the worst of his noble tendencies, seemed to be in better spirits after a short encounter with him. 

Though Ferdinand was a bee, he was also like the sun. 

Maybe that’s why she couldn’t stop herself from looking at him every time he passed by. She was but a simple flower leaning towards the sun on an endless quest to catch even a glimpse of its radiance. 

Dorothea hid herself behind a corner, peering towards Ferdinand, who stood nervously at Manuela’s door, tray of fresh-brewed tea in hand. Her chest tightened, fearing the worst as she watched Manuela open the door, clearly not expecting visitors at this hour. Ferdinand was a fan of the opera, she knew as much, and with how renowned Manuela was during her time with the Mittlefrank Opera Company, perhaps he came to her for a late night rendezvous.

Every nerve in her body screamed at her to run away, to go back to her room and forget any of this happened, but Dorothea’s body refused to cooperate, her heart taking control of her actions. She swallowed hard and leaned in a little closer, careful not to catch the attention of either one. 

“You know, Ferdinand, when I told you to feel relaxed around me, this isn’t exactly what I meant,” Dorothea heard Manuela heave a deep sigh as she ran her fingers through her hair. “I don’t suppose you want to chat about the arts.” 

“No, not tonight, unfortunately,” he shook his head and shuffled his feet, each passing moment making Dorothea more anxious as she strained herself to listen. “May I join you? I have prepared some tea for us.”

Manuela pressed her lips together in a thin line, as if contemplating her options, but eventually gave in. “Oh, alright,” she mumbled as she stepped out of her room and closed the door behind her. 

Dorothea was sure she was avoiding allowing Ferdinand inside because it was a disaster in there, and if she had learned anything from her time at the opera company with Manuela, it was that she could down her liquor better than a sailor and hated to clean up after herself. Dorothea suspected Manuela wasn’t in the mood to be scolded for her lifestyle choices. 

“But let’s go somewhere else, I’m afraid I wasn’t expecting company.” 

Dorothea bit the inside of her cheek, feeling guilt crawling up her throat as she eavesdropped on the two people in this army she cared the most about, but after going this far, she needed to see this through, even if it ended up hurting her. The alternative would gnaw at her until she died.

Dorothea’s eyes darted around, searching for a better place to hide in order to follow them. She snuck behind some bushes, scrunching her dress high above her knees and holding it tightly to avoid getting it as dirty as possible.

Peering from between the branches in the bush, she saw that Ferdinand seemed overjoyed at Manuela’s compliance. “I am grateful,” he bowed his head, careful to not drop the tray. He was ever the gentleman.

“That’s enough of that, there’s no need to act all formal around me,” Manuela urged Ferdinand to walk with her towards the past Dorothea and towards the tea garden, where the ruins of the monastery were an afterthought. “It’s just you and me right now.” 

Ferdinand nearly choked on his tongue and opened his mouth to retort, but gave in quickly, utterly defeated, knowing the persuasiveness of his former professor. “As you wish.” 

Manuela laughed, amused by Ferdinand’s firm desire to be as prim and proper as he could be at all times. “Good,” Manuela hummed. “Now, what has you all… out of it?” she asked as she sat on the old chair, frankly unsettled by his sudden request. 

Dorothea followed them at a distance, settling herself behind more bushes. Her calves began to ache and even in the crisp autumn air, she began to sweat.  _ This is ridiculous _ , she thought,  _ am I really going to go through with this? _

“Ferdinand?”

“Ah—” Ferdinand was startled by Manuela’s voice and he quickly placed the tray on the table, occupying himself with pouring the tea into their cups. “—I… I apologize, it seems I was lost in thought...” 

Dorothea anticipated Ferdinand’s reason for meeting with Manuela with bated breath, finally recognizing her own emotions as jealousy. She was  _ jealous  _ of Manuela. It was pathetic—she hadn’t ever felt this level of envy for her, even while working at the Opera Company. What kind of a woman was she? 

Still, Dorothea’s heart yearned to be the one across from him under the dim light of the moon and all her stars, speaking in whispers of love and adoration. Perhaps the memories of the opera were getting to her head.

Manuela stroked the rim of her cup, staring intently at Ferdinand, wondering made him so distraught. She stared at him with an air of seriousness Dorothea’s rarely seen from her mentor.

“I was hoping that you would spare some advice.”

“Advice? What for?” 

Ferdinand’s cheeks reddened and he turned his head to avoid her gaze, “Advice on the subject of love.” 


	2. Chapter 2

Had the ceramic in Manuela’s hand been any fraction more fragile, it would surely have been crushed. Dorothea was more than aware of Manuela’s plights with the subject, and even she was taken aback by the request. 

“Love?” Manuela repeated, as if she was unsure if she heard him correctly. “You want to talk to me about  _ love _ ?” 

“Well, yes,” Ferdinand admitted, clearing his throat and bringing the cup of tea to his lips, “I thought that, maybe since you’re a... _ respectable _ woman, and someone I deeply admire, that you may be able to help me settle these complex emotions and perhaps set me on the correct path.”

Manuela looked like she really wished she was drinking a bottle of alcohol that was probably sitting in her room. “Okay…” She did as much as she could to hide her bitterness, her own failures with love stabbing her, “What kinds of problems could you be having with love? After all, you’re Ferdinand von Aegir.” 

“Well, you see… I’m afraid that she hates me.” 

“Hates you?” 

Dorothea gasped loudly and quickly slamming her hand against her mouth, watching with a horrified expression as Manuela and Ferdinand, in simultaneous confusion, looked around for the source, unsure if it was a trick of the night. Thankfully, they settled down rather quickly, continuing their conversation without further investigation. Her heart hammered against her chest, blood rushing into her head as she began to piece everything together. There aren’t many people that have outwardly claimed to hate him. Guilt stabbed her in the gut. Was she wrong about all of this? 

Manuela scooted her chair closer to the table, resting her head on her knuckles. “I see… And… who’s this lucky woman?”

“You know her well, actually,” Ferdinand chuckled halfheartedly, crestfallen. “My heart has chosen Dorothea, and it refuses to subside. Since I first saw her in the fountain—no, since I first met her at the monastery, it has continued to incessantly overtake my sense of rationality. I cannot get her out of my head. Though we aren’t on… terrible terms, as we were before, we certainly aren’t as close as I would have hoped.”

“Oh, Goddess,” Dorothea whispered, counting her blessings and cursing her curiosity as she wrapped her head around what she was hearing. “Oh, Ferdie…” 

It was true that their last deeply heartfelt conversation did not end with her immediate forgiveness, though they seemed to be growing more tightly-knit throughout the span of the war. Dorothea had actually been seeking Manuela’s guidance, much like Ferdinand, for aid with her rather puzzling love life.

Manuela was a little surprised by the sound of it, choking momentarily on her tea, not expecting Ferdinand to outright admit his adoration for her fellow songstress. “Oh, I…I see,” was all she said for several long moments, taking slow sips of her tea. 

Ferdinand looked increasingly worried, not even touching the rapidly-cooling beverage as he awaited Manuela’s advice. 

“I’m sure you’ve heard before, but Dorothea came to the academy primarily to find herself a spouse and live comfortably—the life of a diva only lasts so long,” Manuela explained, clearly straining to be serious and handle her emotions. “But when I think about the way she treats you… Well, at the very least, she certainly isn’t clinging to you in hopes that you’ll marry her without a second thought. She does care about you.” 

Dorothea’s mouth suddenly felt dry as she heard Manuela’s slow words stir Ferdinand’s thoughts. She leaned in closer towards them, her heart racing, unsure of what she wanted to hear. 

“I…” Ferdinand’s voice faltered for a moment, as he thumbed through his deep romantic feelings for Dorothea, “I do not know where to continue from here. Even if she cares for me, how do I express my love for her without unintentionally pushing her away?”

Manuela scoffed and shook her head, “Have you learned nothing from all of the operas you diligently watched?” 

Ferdinand was clearly taken aback by her sharp tongue.

“Be romantic! Win her over!” she gesticulated wildly, her composure in shambles, and Dorothea began to wonder if she was talking to Ferdinand or the phantom of her fleeting partners. “Go on dates! Get to know her more! Be present in her life!” 

“But—” 

Manuela’s glare shut him up. 

“Understood.” 

Manuela sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Dorothea’s a woman who appreciates the magic and drama romance can bring,” she reassured him, “But don’t forget that Dorothea requires authenticity for a relationship with her to be deeper than anything superficial. If you’re genuine with your feelings, I don’t think she’ll turn you down. Not without giving you a real chance, at least.” 

By chance, Dorothea’s eyes wandered away from the two, over towards the barely held-together gate opposite of her, and caught a glimpse of familiar dark hair inching closer that made her breath hitch like a child being caught stealing candy from the cupboard. Panic overrode her senses, the conversation in the background becoming incoherent noise. She held her breath, cowering closer to the bushes, preparing to be exposed for her snooping. She watched as Hubert stopped for a moment, staring towards her poor cover, likely knowing she was already there, and yet, moving on, towards the more obvious offenders of curfew. 

“What do we have here?” Hubert’s cold voice made Ferdinand and Manuela visibly shiver in their seats, the expressions of guilt from being caught doing something they clearly shouldn’t have been doing speaking volumes for the silent duo. With their silence, he continued, “I should have you both expelled from the army for this. Who knows? After all, you two could be meeting in secret like this to plan espionage. We can’t have potential threats lingering around Lady Edelgard, now can we?”

Ferdinand finally gazed up towards Hubert, shaking his head. “Please, Hubert, do you truly believe Manuela and I could be spies?” 

Hubert snorted at Ferdinand’s comment, shrugging it off as he stared him down, his posture relaxing ever-so-slightly. “Of course not,” he chuckled, a sadistic undertone laced in his laugh, “Neither one of you could possibly have the capacity to stealthily commit espionage.”

Dorothea chewed the inside of her cheek, hardly able to imagine what Hubert would do to Ferdinand and Manuela, and why her body refused her wishes to escape Hubert’s cold wrath while she could. 

“Regardless, surely you’re both prepared to face the punishments that come with the irresponsibility you’ve demonstrated by going against explicit rules dictated by the army?” Hubert asked.

“Let the blame rest solely on my shoulders.”

“Ferdinand—” Manuela began.

“It is quite alright, Manuela. I was the one who invited you for tea this late. I am at fault, and I will take the responsibility for it, as a noble should.” 

“In that case,” Hubert interjected, “there are plenty of chores for you to do, to make sure this is a lesson you won’t soon forget. I’ll send more instructions tomorrow, to give you ample time to think how your actions reflect your character. You both better hurry back before I come to my senses and realize I shouldn’t be so kind.”

Neither Ferdinand nor Manuela seemed keen on the idea of arguing with Hubert, especially when they knew he was right, and quietly made their way out of the garden, exiting where Hubert had entered, completely missing Dorothea in the poor lighting. 

“You’re free to show yourself at your earliest convenience, Dorothea,” Hubert said once they were gone, looking in her direction. 

She stood, shame reddening the tips of her ears, playing with her hair to try and ease her nerves. “Hello, Hubie…” 

“Might I ask what you are doing out here?”

“You may not,” Dorothea countered without thinking. 

Hubert raised an eyebrow at her sharp tone, but said nothing of it. “I don’t feel that I need to repeat myself to an unwanted auditor. You and Ferdinand will be paired together during your punishment for being out of your rooms well past midnight.” 

Dorothea opened her mouth to interject, but found no words to counter Hubert when he got like this. She simply gave him a curt nod and scurried away, heartbeat drumming loudly in her ears as she felt the ghost of Hubert’s intense stare crawling down her back.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Dorothea woke with a start, the sharp knocks against her door rattling her bones. She hadn’t slept well; her mind was far too busy processing everything she was hearing Ferdinand confess to Manuela, unsure of where to go from here. And now that Hubie was here and planning on pairing her up with him for their series of punishments—

“Dorothea, open the door.” 

_—what was she going to do?_

“I’m indecent!” she called back, refusing to open the door. “Slide it under the door, Hubie!” 

After a few moments of silence, Dorothea watched as gloved fingers poked through under the door, pushing a sealed envelope inside her room, followed by the distinct clicking of Hubert’s heels as he retreated. 

Dorothea sighed and opened the letter, examining each item in the rather small and strangely specific list. She thought that he would’ve given them far more to do, considering their transgressions. Hubert was rather nice when he wanted to be, she thought absentmindedly.

But what caught her eye was the hastily scribbled note on the bottom of the parchment, a warning from Hubert, reminding her of the stakes of this ambitious war. Her face reddened with embarrassment, realizing that this strangely-developing romance between her and Ferdinand had not even managed to elude Hubert. She set the paper down on the table and rubbed her tired eyes, looking at herself in the mirror for a brief moment before turning away to get ready. 

She didn’t have another option other than to let this ridiculous drama take its course. How was she going to face Ferdie? Should she confess her feelings? Wouldn’t that be suspicious? Was she just supposed to act like she was innocent in this? Dorothea’s head swarmed with infuriating questions that left her feeling powerless and frustrated.

Dorothea didn’t even register how close she had gotten to Ferdinand’s room until she found herself facing his door, hand raised to knock. She reeled slightly, fear and uncertainty begging her to turn away and do everything herself, but she knew that would just make things worse. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Dorothea’s knuckles gently rapped against his door. 

“My apologies, I am rather busy—” Ferdinand didn’t seem to be any more well off than she was as he answered the door, the surprise of seeing her after last night catching him completely off guard. “Dorothea?” 

She bit her bottom lip, trying to force out the words that stuck to her throat. “I was asked by Hubie to come find you,” she explained. “Since we were both caught out last night, we’ve been paired together for the punishments.” 

Ferdinand seemed genuinely taken aback, whether because she knew he had done something unbecoming of a noble as proud as him, or because she was caught doing the same thing, she wasn’t sure. She suspected it was the former. 

“Ferdie?” 

“Yes, that’s right, Hubert mentioned he would send instruction in the morning,” he hastily exclaimed, a little too loudly, giving away the extent of his nerves. It made her feel a little better, knowing she wasn’t the only one feeling awkward and stressed.

Dorothea tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and offered him one of her well-practiced smiles, thankful he didn’t seem like he was in the correct mindset to be interrogating her for her misdemeanor. It would’ve been difficult to lie to him, but even worse to admit that she had been eavesdropping on his private conversation with Manuela. Bubbles of guilt began to form in her chest. 

“We should probably start getting ready to go into town. Hubie wants us to get supplies first.” 

Ferdinand nodded slowly, his eyes trained on her as if in a trance. He only snapped out of it when she cleared her throat and stepped away from the door. “Please forgive me for my strange behavior today,” he said, following Dorothea at a reasonable distance towards the stables. “I fear there has been much on my mind recently—” 

Dorothea figured it was about her.

“—Concerning our… upcoming battle, of course.”

Especially because he was the worst liar she’s ever met. 

Ferdinand took several large strides ahead of Dorothea, grabbing the reins to his favorite horse, who bumped into him with a loving huff, clearly trying to steer their conversation back into their current responsibilities. 

She couldn’t stand the silence, so she attempted to make conversation. “That’s Ophelia, yes?” Dorothea asked, cautiously approaching it, “Why did you decide to name her that?” She lingered behind Ferdinand, using him as a shield of sorts as he prepared Ophelia for a ride into town. 

Ferdinand turned sharply his head, mouth agape, almost letting the reins go slack, not expecting such a question from one of the most popular divas of their time. “You do not know?” 

“Know what?” 

Ferdinand stroked Ophelia’s well-groomed mane before returning to adjust the saddle, making sure there was enough room for the both of them. “Ophelia is the tragic love interest to the protagonist of one of the most popular plays in the Empire,” he explained, mystified by Dorothea’s lack of knowledge. He offered her his hand, looking everywhere but her face as he assisted her up onto Ophelia before following suit. “She drowned, surrounded by the gorgeous flowers that she had been carrying. I was so distraught when I had watched the play that I could not have possibly stopped myself from naming her after such a beautiful character.” 

Dorothea made herself comfortable, hesitant to secure her arms around Ferdinand, the close contact of them being on the horse already making her blush. She wondered if he was the same—she couldn’t tell from where she was sitting. 

“I’m surprised you weren’t aware,” Ferdinand’s voice faltered for a moment. “But then again, I do not know many things about you… Once this is all over, perhaps you would like to join me the next time that play appears in the theater?” 

She stared at Ferdie, astonished by his sincere tone, memories of the night before rushing back. 

“In any case,” Ferdinand gripped the reins a little tighter when no reply came, “you had better hold on tight, I do not wish to risk you falling and injuring yourself.” 

“Sure, I’d… I’d love that, Ferdie,” Dorothea mumbled, slowly wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek against Ferdinand’s back, careful to not accidentally tug on his hair. “I’m ready.” 

Ferdinand took off without a word, and Dorothea wasn’t sure what she was going to do. She shut her eyes and inhaled, the lingering scent of the southern fruit blend he was practically addicted to warming and soothing her woes while solidifying the desire that stirred in her heart that _yes,_ this is what she wanted, beyond a shadow of a doubt.


	4. Chapter 4

“The first thing that Hubie wanted us to get is,” Dorothea spoke slowly, nose buried in the parchment, avoiding Ferdinand’s wandering eyes from both her face and the incriminating note Hubert left her, “baking supplies. Flour, eggs, milk, vanilla, honey.”

Ferdinand rubbed his chin, lost in thought as he looked around, keeping careful distance from Dorothea, likely still worked up after she had not only agreed to go on a date with him (despite it being in the distant future), but the rather intimate position they were in on Ophelia. 

“Ah—!” he exclaimed, snapping his fingers with a proud beam, honing in on the series of vendors that lined the battle-worn streets of town. “I will return!” 

Dorothea couldn’t utter a single word before Ferdinand took off in that direction, solely focused on retrieving the items that Hubert asked of them, even forgetting to grab the basket to carry everything in. 

“Ferdie…” she sighed, glancing back at Ophelia, tied modestly to a spare wooden post, who huffed in her direction. Dorothea shook her head and took off after him, exclaiming “wait!” as she rushed, not wanting to be left alone.

Ferdinand had barely looked at her when she came up to him, far too engrossed in trying to figure out the differences between two different sample bags of flour. “What do you think, Dorothea?”

Dorothea peered over Ferdinand’s shoulder, squinting at the bags of flour in his hands. “The one on the left,” she replied. “That one looks freshly ground. Get a big bag of it, Ferdie.” 

“We’ll take it, then,” Ferdinand exclaimed to the enthusiastic shopkeeper, who was more than happy to hand it to him for several pounds of gold. He held onto the flour as he led the charge elsewhere, in search for the other requested items. 

Dorothea was always two paces behind him, reminding him of what they still needed. Her eyes rarely left his enchanting form as he worked hard to complete their tasks, charming the townsfolk left and right with his genuine and charismatic attitude, striking up conversation here and there. She was starstruck, following him like he was the sun, rose colored glasses flooding her vision with sappy romantic thoughts. 

More than once, as he was speaking to one of the vendors, they would offhandedly mention how Dorothea and Ferdinand made a cute couple. It sent her heart into panic, and from the way that Ferdie choked on his words and his face turned nearly as bright as a rose as he denied their allegations, she knew he was going through the same emotional rollercoaster. 

But the guilt that had boiled inside of her only intensified, slowing her movements behind Ferdinand, her chest aching with remorse. Eventually, she came to a stop, gripping the sleeve of her dress tightly, knowing if she didn’t tell him now, she wouldn’t be able to bring herself to do it later, and would hate herself for it forever. 

“That should be the last of it,” Ferdinand laughed, as if to relieve any lingering tension between the two of them. “It was surprisingly easy. What else are we to do?”

Dorothea watched Ferdinand pack the saddles on Ophelia, sliding her a spare treat when he thought she wasn’t looking. “Ferdie, wait…” she mumbled, casting her gaze away, to the floor. She hated this feeling, the vulnerability, the guilt—she was a strong, proud woman confident in her capabilities. And yet, when she was around Ferdinand, those walls she built continued to come down. 

“Listen, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Ferdinand hummed softly, confusion clear in his voice. He turned around and his expression shifted to one of deep concern, his earlier embarrassment nowhere to be seen. He really did care for her, and it made her feel worse. 

“Dorothea? What’s wrong?” 

“I…” she trailed off for a moment, before sighing, “I’m not a good person, Ferdinand. You shouldn’t care for me, not like this.” 

Ferdinand looked bewildered by her words. “What?” 

“Let me finish,” she pleaded. “Last night, I was caught out by Hubie, right? I wasn’t somewhere like, the greenhouse or the cafeteria, per se.” Dorothea took another deep breath. “I was listening in on you and Manuela.”

Dorothea winced as she watched hurt flood Ferdinand’s eyes. “There’s no excuse for what I did. I was headed to Manuela’s room and saw you were there first and… I…” 

“So… you’re aware…?” Ferdinand spoke slowly, eyebrows knit together.

“That you like me?” Dorothea finished, receiving a reluctant nod. 

Ferdinand shifted, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden confession. “I understand if you do not harbor the same feelings as I—”

“That’s not it,” she rubbed her arm, feeling much smaller than she usually did, “I  _ do _ like you, Ferdie.” Dorothea wasn’t even sure what she wanted to say. She loved him. So what was holding her back? “I was actually going to Manuela’s room to talk to her about you. About us.”

Ferdinand stayed silent, simply listening to Dorothea, urging her to continue.

“So when I heard you tell her how you felt about me… I was shocked. Scared, even. I’ve done some terrible things to you, and yet… you still care for me. Well, maybe not after this,” Dorothea laughed somberly, unable to meet his face. “I guess… I just want to apologize to you. I’m sorry for everything. For the way I treated you five years ago, for the bee thing, for listening in on a private conversation…”

She hadn’t noticed Ferdinand slowly approaching her until he was close enough to touch. He gently took her hands in his and held them with a soft but secure grip, looking at her with a firm expression—she knew it was a thin facade to keep him somewhat calm while his heart and mind undoubtedly went hundreds of miles an hour. 

“Dorothea, please stop apologizing,” he cooed, offering her a soothing smile, “Though this came as a shock, understand that, even so, I harbor no ill emotions for you. On my honor as a noble, know there is nothing but affection in my heart and the words I speak.” 

“Why aren’t you upset?” she asked, voice softer than before. 

“Do you want me to be?”

She didn’t reply.

Ferdinand squeezed her hands comfortingly. “Do you care for me?”

Dorothea snorted, finally looking at Ferdinand. “I already told you I do.”

“Then lay all of it to rest. I forgive you.”

“But Ferdie—“

“The only thing that matters now is where we go from here,” his words felt a little scripted, and Dorothea wondered if he was taking some of Manuela’s advice. “We’ve spent far too long consumed by the past.”

Dorothea would definitely have to thank Manuela later. “You’re right…” She pried her hands free from Ferdinand’s and replaced it with his cheeks, feeling her heart swell with the owlish blinks he gave her, not expecting the intimacy. “There’s too much at stake for us to spend all of our lives thinking about the past, but too much uncertainty now for us to really do anything else.” 

Ferdinand covered her hands with his, leaning in ever-so-slightly. “Once we’ve won, would you… would you like to come back with me to Enbarr?” 

“I think I’d like that. Thank you, Ferdie.” Dorothea grinned, filled to the brim with love and admiration for him. “You know, I don’t think you’re much like a bee anymore. If anything, you’re… like honey. Sweeter, even, and I don’t think I’ll be able to get enough before the war is over.”

Ferdinand’s face flushed, a spare, nervous chuckle passing his lips. “You are quite the charmer, I fear I’ll be consistently outdone.”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” she laughed loudly, pulling away from Ferdinand, but keeping her hand in his, glowing brighter than before. Dorothea tugged him towards Ophelia, who stomped her hooves impatiently. “Not just anyone can worm their way into my heart as persistently as you.”

Ferdinand lifted Dorothea’s hand to his face and gently kissed her knuckles before assisting her on Ophelia, lingering a little too long, until Dorothea lightly kicked him to snap him out of it, though she looked at him with just as much love. “Shall we head back?” 

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. But, when we get back, I’d like to stay with you. For just a little bit longer,” Dorothea said as she made herself comfortable once more, wrapping her arms around his torso with no hesitation and leaning her head against his back. 

“Anything for you.” 

Dorothea hummed at his cheesy words as they rode together back to the monastery. She closed her eyes, feeling safe and whole with Ferdinand. It would take a while, she was sure of that, but she had high hopes for the future of Fódlan, and their future. 


End file.
